1. Field of the Invention
The subject invention relates to a workbench, comprised of metal, wood and plastic injection-molded parts. More particularly, this invention relates to a standalone workbench comprised of a primary metal structure along with injection-molded plastic accessories that enable the user to create a contiguous set of workbenches of just drawers, just shelves, or a combination thereof, using commercially available dry dimensional lumber for the tabletop, four foot long plywood for the shelves, and plastic injection-molded drawers. More specifically, this invention relates to workbenches where the workbench leg design provides a tabletop front to back width equivalent to an integer number of dry dimensional lumber pieces laid with their widths placed side to side across the top. Proper hole positioning in the top of the workbench leg captures the dry dimensional lumber with simple wood screws and prevents the boards from warping and or splitting.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Workbenches are not new to the consumer market and, in general, range from the simplistic, consisting of four legs and a tabletop, either of plastic or wood, to complex industrial grade workbenches that are comprised primarily of metal and consist of legs, drawers, doors, shelves, and a tabletop. For industrial workbenches, the tabletop can be comprised of engineered wood, or depending on the application, take on a composite structure such as laminate over wood, chemically resistive materials, or electrostatic dissipating surfaces necessary for the manufacturing of electronics. More recently a series of portable workbenches of either injection-molded plastic or metal are available in the commercial market.
One instance of a plastic workbench is defined in U.S. Pat. No. 5,351,730, and is described as a carpenter""s workbench. Created from injection-molded plastic it constitutes a free standing body, similar to an xe2x80x9cAxe2x80x9d frame design with a flattened molded top. Located within the molded top region are specialized molded compartments for retaining loose hardware, along with a molded grove to aid in severing lumber or pipe. The molded grove may constitute a region wherein a piece of 2 inch by 4 inch wood may be secured to the top to provide as a wood working surface if desired. The unique construction of this design makes it portable but the lightweight portable nature of this design does not render it a rugged, fixed work surface were power equipment imparting significant weight or vibration can be placed.
There are portable workbenches made of metal that also have the benefit of being able to fold, contain a vice, provide a built in measuring rule, or a combination thereof. Several such designs are defined in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,252,304; 5,383,977; Des. 253,212; and Des. 386,624. The simplest of these designs is shown in U.S. Pat. No. Des. 253,212. A simple metal frame forms an A-frame metal leg construction with a flat like tabletop comprised of two block like surfaces that by means of two screw mechanisms running perpendicular to the work surface creates a vice for clamping. The most complex of these unique workbenches is provided in U.S. Pat. No. 5,383,977. A scissor like metal leg structure allows the structure to be folded together with the tabletop opening up to aid in collapsing the workbench. As incorporated in the previous, similar design, the tabletop contains a vice that is clamped with two screw mechanisms mounted perpendicular to the work surface. Additional useable features are incorporated in the design, such as a place to mount a power tool and places to retain several hand tools. Although the most complex of these designs contains numerous features, they are intended as portable work surfaces in the home or at a construction site. Moving such structures is simple, however the tabletop on such designs is not constructed to allow dry dimensional lumber, which is typically found at most home construction sites, to be rapidly installed and used as a rugged work surface.
For home construction and home use, a wood workbench or a shelving rack type structure with a rugged wood tabletop provides the most desired working surface. Tools can be rapidly attached and it provides a rigid but forgiving surface for most household projects. Wood workbenches do exist, such as that defined in U.S. Pat. No. 5,284,331. In that patent, a woodworking workbench is depicted with many integrated features for woodworking such as vises, dogs, panel clamps, hold-downs, and other means beneficial in woodworking. Such a design is rugged, sturdy, and can be configured to aid the workbench user in just about any hobby type of task. For woodworking it is ideal, but for the average home user it is far to complex and does not provide a simple scheme for attaching drawers.
There are workbenches available in the commercial market that are of a metal frame construction, have a wood tabletop, and contain drawers. These are workbenches that have a basic construction similar to metal shelving but which contain a particleboard top and may contain a drawer or drawers. A patent search for such products failed to identify these concepts, but to the best of our knowledge all such shelving type benches utilize plywood or particleboard tabletops. Such designs provide for rapid construction since the tabletop is primarily a shelf. However, relative to attaching power tools such as tablesaws, tabletop drill presses, etc., such designs are flawed since particleboard has poor tensile or flexural strength when compared with dry dimensional lumber. A workbench constructed with metal pieces such that the attached pieces are bolted or screwed together, and that has a tabletop comprised of commercially available dry dimensional lumber, provides the ideal structure for mounting of power tools, a vise, or other large items requiring strength.
As delineated in the patents cited there are a multitude of workbenches that exist. Plastic workbench surfaces provide portability, metal industrial workbenches provide ergonomic design centers for industry, all wood workbenches can be the hobbyists project, and metal shelving type workbenches provide a quick work surface. However, what is needed is a workbench structure that enables the homeowner to obtain dimensional lumber and rapidly construct a workbench with a solid tabletop, several plywood shelves, and drawers. To date, and to the best of our knowledge no such workbench concept exists or existed.
It is thus an object of the present invention to create a rugged workbench structure that allows for an economical tabletop to be rapidly constructed from an integral number of dry dimensional lumber pieces, such as 2xc3x974""s, 2xc3x976xe2x80x2s, 2xc3x978xe2x80x2s, 2xc3x9710xe2x80x2s, and 2xc3x9712xe2x80x2s, that are laid with their widths placed side by side, and attached via pre-drilled holes in said metal structure using simple wood screws, such as deck screws. Furthermore, the metal structure shall create proper spacing for sturdy plastic drawers, allow for shelves with a standard plywood width, contain pre-drilled holes for other accessories, and allow for a contiguous tabletop by providing for a complement of holes about the vertical axis of each leg.
According to further features in the preferred embodiments of the present invention, the workbench structure shall be comprised of a primary metal leg structure that has a front to back width equal to the product of the minimum dressed width for a specific type of dry dimensional lumber times an integer number of pieces, such that when their widths are laid side by side, it forms an economical and rugged tabletop.
According to further features in the preferred embodiments of the present invention, the primary leg structure top and bottom metal piece shall have holes positioned to secure the integer number of lumber pieces using simple wood screw retention, but which prevents splitting or warping of the dry dimensional by proper hole spacing.
According to further features in the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the primary leg structure shall have holes to provide up to three shelves, three drawers, securing to a wall and floor, and to allow each leg to attach to two other legs by means of lateral braces.
According to further features in the preferred embodiment of the present invention, there are two types of metal lateral support braces that space the legs apart: one lateral brace type shall provide exact spacing between the primary metal legs to achieve one or more plywood shelves with a length equal to 48 inches, or in other words the width of a standard plywood lumber sheet. The other lateral brace support shall provide proper spacing for a rugged plastic injection-molded drawer.
According to further features in the preferred embodiments of the invention, the workbench shall accept injection-molded plastic drawers consisting of an open box like structure, with or without structural webbing, having a front, rear, two sides, a bottom, and a structural lip for retention by means of two U-shaped metal braces positioned on the sides of two standard legs.
According to further features in the preferred embodiments of the invention, a metal U-shaped brace shall exist that when attached front to rear, and opposing each other on each of two vertical standing and parallel legs, it shall retain the drawer, and allow the drawer to slide opened and closed.